NEW YORK – Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic will meet with the UN General Secretary Ban Ki-moon on Thursday, and he will also address the UN Security Council session on Kosovo later this evening, the Serbian government’s Office for cooperation with the media released.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon’s quarterly report on the situation in Kosovo, covering the period between July 16 and October 15, will be presented at the meeting.
In his most recent report, Ban expressed concern over the political limbo in Pristina and called on Kosovo’s leaders to do more to find a solution and resume the talks with Belgrade as soon as possible.
He pointed out he was particularly concerned over the extended political limbo in Pristina and potential negative consequences to past progress in strengthening the democratic institutions and processes in Kosovo.
Ban commended the authorities in Belgrade and Pristina on their progress in EU integration and encouraged them to resume their EU facilitated talks.
The secretary general also called on all sides to find a way to provide momentum for that process, regardless of short-term political challenges.
The European Commission’s report on Serbia’s progress presented in October states that progress in the normalisation of relations with Pristina is crucial for the EU integration of both sides, he noted.
The technical talks have continued and some progress has been achieved when it comes to integrated border management, telecommunications, energy and freedom of movement, he stressed.
UNMIK Chief Farid Zarif will also speak at the meeting on Thursday, while Kosovo will be represented by the Prime Minister Hasim Thaci. Zarif will file a quarterly report on Kosovo by the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.
The meeting was originally scheduled for November 13, but it was postponed.
According to reports by the Kosovo media at the time, the authorities in Pristina asked the Security Council to postpone the meeting because they had not formed new institutions after the elections yet.
